Looking Back
by Gl33k
Summary: During his final hours, Cato looks back on life in District 2 and the time he spent with Clove. What does he learn?


"Why don't they just kill him?" He hears Katniss ask Peeta.

"You know why." Peeta replies.

Cato knows why. This is entertaining for the people in the Capitol to watch. The Capitol probably loves seeing him die. They'll probably be at the edge of their seats, screaming and shouting for the Star-Crossed lovers. He now knows that he never really had a chance against them, or her in particular.

Cato's moaning and begging for the mutations to stop, starts to die down. He's now just whimpering as the pain of the bites take over his whole mind. Night turns to day, and they're still at Cato. Throughout the whole night, his mind wondered to his family back in Two. Did he disappoint them? His older brother, Karp, was a past victor, and the pressure was on him to win this year's Hunger Games. Are they still watching him? They probably turned the television off and started talking about the Games to his younger brother Luco. Telling him he's not going to die unless he trains more than the disappointing son. They're probably guiding him through his preparations for when he does get into the Games. His parents made him volunteer, since he didn't get reaped, so they'd probably make him volunteer. He'd love to be able to warn his parents about how dangerous and terrifying the Games actually are, so he could protect Luco. Karp never warned him about how terrible it was. Maybe he didn't realise how bad the Capitol are.

"I think he's closer now. Katniss, can you shoot him?" Cato can hear Peeta ask Katniss.

This is it. The time has finally come. He starts thinking about Clove and he feels guilty. He promised her he'd make her proud, but he didn't. He's going to die soon. He thinks back to the day of the Feast.

"_Cato! Cato!" He heard her shout. He ran as fast as he could._

"_Clove!" He shouted back to her, letting her know he was coming._

_The branches scratched against his face, but it didn't slow him down. He had to get to her, to help her survive._

"_Clove!" He was nearer and he knew he'd be there in a couple of minutes. There was no reply._

_He watched as Thresh ran away with both District 2 and 11's bags. He didn't think they needed anything, so Thresh having it didn't matter. He ran straight to Clove and crouched down._

"_Stay with me Clove, please. I need you. Come on, wake up! Please, I love you." He let the tears roll down his face, something he never did before._

"_Clove, don't do this please." He was too late. There was no response._

"_I'll get them back. I promise. I know Fire Girl was a part of this too. I promise I'll make you proud and that I'll win for us. I'll never forget you." He got up and walked away. He heard Clove's cannon go off. She really was dead._

He tries to shake the memory away from his mind, even though it's been replaying in his mind ever since it happened. He's brought back to life when he hears Katniss speaking.

"My last arrow is in your tourniquet." She tells Peeta.

"Make it count." He probably handed the arrow over to her.

He hears Katniss move closer and he finally realises that he doesn't hate her. He respects her and he admires her strength. She was the only person in the Games that he feared, even though he wouldn't admit it. She was the strongest contestant and the sponsors loved her. She was the only one standing in the way of victory for District 2.

He watches Katniss hang over the edge of the Cornucopia and aims her arrow at him.

"Please." He tries to say to her, but it hurts too much, so he mouths it.

Cato's life flashed before his eyes and he was disgusted with the fact he spent most of his life wishing he was here. He was just a part of the Capitol's plan to get revenge against the District's that rebelled.

There are some things they never teach you during training. The fear that you have of getting attacked, the mistrust that is there in an alliance with the Career Districts and the pain you go through when you kill someone. He knows that they all had lives and that, because of him, they are dead. When he slept, he saw their faces.

Now, with the arrow that was coming down to him, he finally had the peace he was looking for his whole life.


End file.
